Pneumatic takedown for hosiery machines



y 3, 1969 'r. J. THORE 3,443,403

PNEUMATIC TAKEDOWN FOR HOSIERY MACHINES Filed March 20, 1967 Sheet of 2INVENTOR Thomas J. Thore BY WITNESS: ml dud" ATTORNEY y 3, 1969 T. J.THORE 3,443,403

7 PNEUMATIC TAKEDOWN FOR HOSIERY MACHINES Filed March 20, 1967 Sheet 3of 2 46 I INVENTOR. Thomas J. Thore wnmsss: BY @M ATTORNEY United StatesPatent 3,443,403 PNEUMATIC TAKEDOWN FOR HOSIERY MACHINES Thomas J.Thore, Chattanooga, Tenn., assignor to The Singer Company, New York,N.Y., a corporation of New Jersey Filed Mar. 20, 1967, Ser. No. 624,369Int. Cl. D04b 35/00, 11/28 US. Cl. 66-149 5 Claims ABSTRACT OF THEDISCLOSURE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the invention Theinvention relates to pneumatic takedown apparatus for a ladies hosieryknitting machine, being concerned principally with the preventiontherein of twisting of stockings into knots prior to their being castoff by the needles of such machine.

Description of the prior art Pneumatic suction takedowns are well knownin the art for tensioning a stocking for even drawing of stitchestherein. Such takedowns usually embody a hollow tube through which avacuum is applied to the stocking, and through which the stockingpasses, after it is cast off, for further processing. The verticallength of the takedown tube has heretofore been at least as long as thestocking being knit, thereby effecting an overall machine height whichis greater than would otherwise be desired. Hosiery knitting machinesare usually recessed below floor level to permit eye level inspection oftheir knitting instrumentalities by maintenance men and mechanics. Thisobviously is undesirable, not only because it creates a general problemwith respect to the housing of hosiery knitting machines, but furtherbecause such lengthy takedown tubes are intrinsically unsightly and lendan otherwise gangling appearance to what is already a complicatedappearing machine.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION To obviate the need for a takedown tube that isvertically at least as lengthy as a stocking, the present inventionsuggests a takedown tube that is bent so that its vertical length isless than socking length. The bent end is disposed generallyhorizontally and has vacuum applied to it via a sleeve that couples tothe bent end, such sleeve being however rotatable about the horizontalaxis of the bent end of the takedown tube. Rotation of the sleeve isgenerally at about the speed of cylinder rotation, i.e., at the speed ofstocking rotation, and it is this feature which permits of a practicalshortened machine. While the stocking is knit and drawn down into theelbow of the takedown tube, the end of the stocking which first reachesthe elbow tends to remain stationary therein and, as the trailing end ofthe stocking is carried around in the vertical portion of the takedowntube during knitting thereof, the stocking tends to twist and clog up atthe elbow porion of the takedown tube. The roating sleeve sucks theleading end of the stocking into it, and since it rotates with theneedle cylinder, it carries the leading end of the stocking 3,443,403Patented May 13, 1969 with it, thereby unwinding the stocking andeliminating any tendency of the stocking to twist.

A principal object of the invention is to provide improved takedownapparatus for a hosiery machine.

Another object of the invention is to provide a hosiery machine, thetakedown of which is vertically shorter than stocking length.

The invention will be described with reference to the figures whereinFIG. 1 is a perspective view, partially broken away, showing inelevation a hosiery knitting machine embodying takedown apparatusaccording to the invention,

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the details of construction of thetakedown apparatus embodied by the machine of FIG. 1, and

FIG. 3 is a side sectional view of the sleeve portion of the takedownapparatus of the invention.

Referring to the figures, a hosiery knitting machine 10 includes a yarnstand 12 the yarns of which are fed to the needles of a needle cylinder14 shown generally in phantom. The needle cylinder 14 mounts a bed plate16, and the knitting instrumentalities of the machine are under controlof a main control drum 18, as is conventional practice. The control drum18, which is itself controlled by means of a timing chain 20, is hollowand rotatably mounts atop a support plate 22 coaxially with the needlecylinder 14. The support plate 22 sits on legs 23, and the bed plate 16is held above the support plate 22 by means of posts 25. The controldrum 18 is adapted to have stockings which are knitted by the needlecylinder 14 pass through it to takedown apparatus indicated generally at24.

The takedown apparatus 24 includes a hollow takedown tube having avertical portion 26 about which the needle cylinder 14 and control drum18 are individually rotatable, and through which a stocking 28 isadapted to pass in conventional manner. Coupled to the vertical portion26 in generally airtight fashion, by means of a collar 30, is theremaining portion of the takedown tube, namely hollow elbow piece 32,the vertical dimension d of the vertical portion 26 and elbow 32 beingless than the overall length of the stocking 28. A hollow sleeve 34provided with a flange portion 36, back a bit from its end 38, has suchend fitted for rotation within the horizontal portion 40 of the elbow32, the flange 36 serving as a shoulder for the end 40 of the elbow. 32.A collar 42 frictionally secures to the elbow 32, and then secures bymeans of bolts 44 both to a brace 46, supported by the machine 10, andto a bearing 48. Preferably the end 38 of the sleeve 34 is fitted with asponge-like annular piece 49 that serves to prevent snagging of thestocking 28 by the edge of the sleeve 34.

The other end of the sleeve 34 is provided with a flange portion 50which is coupled in generally airtight manner to a stationary suctionpiece 52 for rotation relative thereto. The suction piece 52, which hasa collar 54 frictionally secured thereto, secures both to a bearing 56and to the brace 46 by means of bolts 58. A third collar '60, this beingpositionably axially secured to the sleeve 34 by means of bolts 62 whichride in slots 64, mounts a drive wheel 66 by means of screws 68. Thedrive wheel 66 is provided with a frictional periphery 70 adapted tocontact a drive disc 72. The drive disc 72 is provided with a frictionalface 74 so that rotation of the disc 72 will rotate the wheel 66 torotate, in turn, the sleeve 34 in its bearings 48 and 56-. The drivedisc 72 is supported on a shaft 76 having a fixedly positioned collar 78that serves to restrain a spring 80 so that the spring 80 loads thedrive disc 72 against the frictional periphery 70 of the drive wheel 66,the disc 72 being positionable in the direction of the axis of the shaft76 by means of a key 82 that rides in a slot 84 in a collar 86 on thedisc 72. The drive shaft 76 mounts for rotation in bearings on thesupport plate 22,

being driven by a belt 90 by means of the same drive 92 that operatesthe needle cylinder 14. Therefore, speed changes in the needle cylinderare immediately followed upon by corresponding speed changes in theshaft 76 and its related components, viz. the sleeve 34. By positioningthe collar 60 and the drive wheel 66 axially of the sleeve 34, i.e.radially of the drive disc 72, the speed of rotation for the sleeve 34may be adjusted as desired. It has been found preferable to position thedrive wheel 66 for rotation of the sleeve 34 at just slightly greaterspeed than the needle cylinder speed, whereby slippage of the stockingwithin the sleeve 34 is compensated for. The suction piece 52 couples inairtight fashion to a suction system 96 of conventional design, whichsystem is fed by means of a hose 98. With the needle cylinder 14 andstocking 28 rotating as indicated by corresponding directional arrows,the trailing end of the stocking 28, will tend to twist clockwise(looking down upon the needle cylinder 14) with respect to the leadingedge, of the stocking, i.e., its welt, once such leading edge reaches,and sits within, the elbow 32. By rotating the sleeve 34 as indicated byits corresponding arrow, while sucking the stocking welt portion intothe sleeve 34, both the leading and trailing stocking ends aresimultaneously rotated in the same direction, and attendantly twistingthereof is precluded.

While the invention has been described in its preferred form it is to beunderstood that the words which have been used are words of descriptionrather than of limitation, and changes within the purview of theappended claims may be made without departing from the true scope andspirit of the invention.

Having thus set forth the nature of this invention, what is claimedherein is:

1. In a hosiery knitting machine with pneumatic takedown apparatus (24)having a stationary takedown tube (26, 32) which includes a stationaryvertical portion (26) having a longitudinally axis coincident with theaxis of rotation of the needle cylinder of the machine and which alsoincludes a stationary elbow (32) having one end connected to the lowerend of said vertical portion (26), the improvement (a) wherein saidtakedown apparatus (24) includes a .4 sleeve (34) which is mounted forrotation about its longitudinal axis on the other end of the elbow (32),and to which suction may be applied to draw a stocking through thetakedown tube (26, 32) and sleeve (34), and

(b) wherein said takedown apparatus (24) includes means (66) forrotating said sleeve (34) about its longitudinal axis to eliminate twistin stockings being made longer than the vertical height (d) of thetakedown tube (26, 32).

2. The apparatus of claim 1 including means (92, 90, 76,72) drivinglycoupling said sleeve (34) to said needle cylinder (14), whereby saidsleeve (34) may be rotated about its axis coincidentally with rotationof said needle cylinder (14).

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said means (92, 90,76, 72) drivinglycoupling said sleeve (34) and needle cylinder (14) includes means (60,62) for adjusting the speed at which said sleeve (34) may be rotated.

4. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said means (92, 90, 76, 72)drivingly coupling said sleeve (34) and needle cylinder (14) is adaptedto rotate said sleeve (34) about its axis at a speed slightly in excessof the speed at which said needle cylinder (14) is rotated about itsaxis.

5. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said sleeve (34) and the said otherend (40) of said elbow (32) have coincidental longitudinal axes whichare both horizontally disposed.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,873,596 2/1959 Larkin 66-1532,972,875 2/1961 St. Pierre 66-15O XR 3,063,275 11/1962 Luchi 66-153 XR3,159,015 12/1964 Moretta 66-153 XR FOREIGN PATENTS 6,406,987 12/1964Netherlands. 1,392,884 2/1965 France.

RONALD FELDBAUM, Primary Examiner.

